Donna Mcallister, BACP
Compassionate counsellor using narrative approaches
Details
| Name | Donna Mcallister |
|---|---|
| Credentials | BACP |
| Based in | United Kingdom |
| Registered with | BACP |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 3 |
About Donna
Donna Mcallister is a counsellor who brings a narrative-focused way of working to conversations about what feels hard. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Therapeutic Counselling (HONS) and is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, with three years of professional experience.
Donna aims to create a respectful, non-judgemental space where people can begin to talk about stress, anxiety and other struggles. Donna commonly helps people facing depression, burnout and problems with self-esteem.
Background and approach
She also supports those dealing with relationship strains, grief, trauma and challenges around intimacy. Practical concerns such as sleeping, eating, parenting and career stress are part of her day-to-day work. Her approach combines Narrative ideas with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural techniques.
Sessions focus on understanding the stories people tell about themselves and testing small, useful changes in behaviour. Conversations are guided by the person’s goals rather than a fixed checklist. Donna pays attention to attachment patterns and how past relationships shape present difficulties.
She uses client-centred listening to make space for whatever someone brings into a session. This helps people examine long-standing beliefs and try out different ways of being. People can work with Donna on a wide range of concerns including addictions, ADHD, caring roles and chronic health issues.
She also addresses identity-related matters such as LGBT concerns, body image and issues linked to adoption and foster care. The focus is practical support and steady, collaborative work toward clearer choices.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Relationship issues, Self esteem among the things Donna works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Hearing impaired
- HIV / AIDS
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Visually impaired
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Existential Therapy: Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Imago Relationship Therapy: Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Jungian Therapy: Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Psychodynamic Therapy: Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Somatic Therapy: Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Internal Family Systems: Listed by Donna among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Donna directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Donna directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How narrative and ACT approaches work online
Donna blends Narrative ideas with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and attachment-informed listening. Narrative work focuses on the stories people tell about themselves and looks for different ways to tell those stories, which can help with identity, grief and relationship patterns. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy encourages people to notice thoughts and feelings without fighting them and to commit to actions that match their values, which is useful for anxiety, depression and coping with life changes.Finding the right approach is part of the process. Donna will work together with each person to decide which methods fit their needs and goals. That choice is practical and collaborative - she adapts techniques to suit what someone wants to change and how they like to work in sessions.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging, giving flexibility to fit appointments around work and family life. Video calls let people see and be seen for fuller conversations, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and chat or messaging can be useful for shorter check-ins or when writing feels more comfortable. These options make it easier to keep continuity of care across time zones for international clients and to choose a format that suits day-to-day life.
Common questions about this listing
What kinds of problems does Donna help with?
She supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship issues and self-esteem concerns, plus grief, trauma and burnout.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her work is narrative-focused and client-centred, using ACT and CBT tools to help people reframe unhelpful stories and try small behavioural changes.
What is her background and experience?
She has a Bachelor of Arts in Therapeutic Counselling (HONS), is registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and has three years of professional experience.
Where is she based and what credential does she hold?
She practises from the United Kingdom and is registered with the BACP as listed in her credentials.
Can I work with her if I live outside the UK?
Yes, she accepts international clients and offers sessions in English.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can take place via video calls, phone sessions, live chat or text-based messaging according to the chosen format.
How are sessions paid for?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability and are covered through a subscription that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin therapy with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions as fits your timetable.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Donna are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Donna where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
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